Zachariah Henry Bailey, Sr.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75526530/zachariah-henry-bailey

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bailey-4065

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following is an unproven story about Zachariah's early life which has been passed down through the generations:

"Zachariah Bailey was born in Body Top, Virginia. His mother was Miss Mary Bailey and his father was thought to have been a Hopkins. As his mother was unwed, he took his mother's name.

A lost child in the late 1790's, as far as we can figure out, he was four years old in the year of 1798. His home was in the upper part of the Carolinas or the Southern part of Virginia. His mother brought him to this house where he lived. Miss Bailey was riding a horse carrying saddle bags and her smallest son Robert. The oldest son being Zachariah was riding a pack mule. He kept falling off the pack mule, so she stopped at this house and left him there with the understanding she would be back for him. There were rumors she was carrying important papers for the Army, and that she was on her way to Louisanna, but she never came back or was heard of again. Rumors were that she camped in a nearby school house, and the school burned down that night. Zachariah lived at this place believing that he was bound to the owner until he was 18 years old. Not knowing anything of his mother or his younger brother, Robert, except he remembered the saddle bags that his mother was carrying on the horse she was riding. He saw them and recognized them at this place much later when he was older. The man he lived with was unkind to him and brought him up like a slave, but he stayed until he grew into young manhood.

A neighbor by the name of Mr. Hawkins got sick and sent for Zachariah. This man had been a life long friend to him and was good and kind to Zachariah. So Zachariah went to see Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins told Zachariah that he wasn't going to live long, and that Zachariah was not bound to the man he worked for all these years. He told him of his mother leaving him there and never being heard of again, and that he was a free man, and to leave this man as soon as he could. Zachariah decided to leave and left the following day.

Zachariah walked five or six days in a northerly direction. He could tell he was gong north by the bark on the trees. He stopped at a home for something to eat. This was Body Top, Virginia. This was Mr. Amburn's home. The family was good and kind to him. Later Zachariah married Mr. Amburn's daughter Esther. He lived with her twelve years, and she died leaving no children.

Zachariah enlisted in the War of 1812 in Grayson County, Virginia. He served from February 8, 1812 to March 3, 1815 as a private in Captain Timothy Dauton's Company.

Reference: Index To War of 1812 - Pension Files, Volume 1: A - F - transcribed by Virgil D. White.

Zachariah and Rachel were married in Crooked Creek, Grayson County, Virginia on June 14, 1832 by Edward Jones who was a Preacher (Methodist). Rachel further stated that the following is a full description of Zachariah at the time of his enlistment: light hair, blue eyes, heavy set and curly hair. His occupation was "farmer" and he was about age 24.

Zachariah applied for and received a Land Warrant #34151 which entitled him to 160 acres of land in payment for his services during the War of 1812. Rachel indicated in her War of 1812 Claim of Widow for Service Pension application that since Zachariah's discharge from the army they had lived in Grayson County, Virginia, Mercer County, West Virginia, Tazewell County, Virginia and McDowell County, West Virginia. Also, at the time of her application she indicated that her residence was in McDowell County near the town of Pocahontas, Virginia and that her post office address was Pocahontas, Virginia, Care Box 31.

Zachariah, Rachel, 2nd wife (Widow Certificate #34746), Survivors Certificate #25598, "M - 14 June, Grayson County, Va, sd 7th April, 1884, McDowell County, WV. wd 29 Aug 1902 Mayhenry, WV, srv Timothy Doulton's Co, Va Mil, lived Tazewell Co, Va & McDowell Co., WV. lst wife Ester (Amburn).

He died in his own home in McDowell County, West Virginia on the Tug River near Pocahontas, Virginia on April 7, 1884. He buried in private unmarked cemetery next to the Franklin Cemetery in Leckie, West Virginia. According to U. G. Bailey, the cemetery is located near Windmill Gap on Route 52, west of Bluefield.

In 1859 it was stated that Zachariah was 65 years old. They moved to McDowell County which at that time was in Virginia. A list of land grants by the State of West Virginia in McDowell County residents in the year 1844 include:

Zachariah and Rachel Bailey: 133 acres East Fork of Tug, in the year of 1868; Cloyd Bailey (eldest son of John Bailey) 290 acres, on Jonocake Branch, in the year 1869. John Bailey was Zachariah's oldest son.

Miss Bailey was riding a horse carrying saddle bags and her smallest son Robert, the oldest son being Zachariah was riding a pack mule. He kept falling off the pack mule so she stopped at this and left him there with the understanding she would be back for him. There were rumors that she was carrying important papers for the army, and that she was on her way to Louisiana, but she never came back or was ever heard from again. Except rumors that she camped in a near by a school house, that the school house was burned down later that night.

Zachariah lived at this place believing that he was bound to the owner until he was 16 years old. Not knowing anything of his mother or his younger brother Robert, except he remembered the saddle bags that his mother was carrying on the horse she was riding. He saw them and recognized them at this place much later when he was older. This man was unkind to him and brought him up like a slave, but he stayed until he grew into manhood.

A neighbor by the name of Mr. Hawkins got sick and sent for Zachariah. This man had been a life long friend to him and was good and kind to Zachariah. So, Zachariah went to see Mr. Hawkins and the man told him he wasn't going to live long, and that he was not bound to the man who had worked him all these years. He told him of his mother leaving him there, and never being heard of again, and that he was a free man, and to leave this man as soon as he could, so Zachariah decided to leave and left the following day.

Zachariah left the man he had been slave to, and walked five or six days in a northerly direction. He could tell he was going north by the tree bark. He stopped at a house for something to eat, this was near Body Topp, Virginia. This was a Mr. Abram home. The family was kind and good to him. Mr. Abram offered him a job, which he accepted, and stayed with them. Later Zachariah married Mr. Abram's daughter Ester. He lived with her twelve years, and she died leaving no children. They may have had children but none were know of by the family-so any children could have died of whatever killed Ester.

Zachariah Bailey enlisted in the war of 1812 in Grayson County, Virginia, and served from Feb. 8, 1812 to March 3, 1815 as a private in Captain Timothy Dauton Co.

Zachariah Bailey and Rachel Glandon were married in Grayson County, Virginia in the year of 1832, June 18th.

Zachariah and Rachel were residents of Tazewell Co. Virginia. Later this area became McDowell Co. West Virginia, after 1863. At the time the area was Virginia. A list of land grants, by the state of WV in McDowell shows them residents in the year 1844. Zachariah Bailey and Rachel: 133 Acres East Fork of Tug, in the year of 1868. Grandson of Zachariah and Rachel Bailey, Cloyd Bailey, oldest son of John Bailey, 290 Acres, Johnnycake Branch, in the year 1868.

Zachariah and Rachel Glandon Bailey are buried at Leckie up the hollow where Lucy Evans lived, behind Elsie Miller. It is now called the Franklin Cemetery.

A granddaughter was named Lousiana, for the destination where it was believed Zachariah's mother was going.

As mentioned earlier this family was in VA, but it became WV after June 20, 1863.

Veteran of War of 1812. Served 3 years and 1 month in the Virginia Militia. He received 133 acre parcel of land through a land grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia for his service. The land grant came from Virginia but the deed for the property came from West Virginia after the Civil War.